Rhys Patchell admits he has endured”a challenging year” ahead of the return to the Wales Test team against Ireland on Saturday.
Scarlets fly-half Patchell continue began for his nation about the 2018 summer trip to Argentina, when he kicked 20 points as Wales beat the Pumas 30-12 at Santa Fe.
A hamstring and concussion difficulties then united to disrupt the 26-year-old’s global career, and put his place in Wales’ World Cup team in query.
However an astonishing try-scoring show off the bench to Ireland at Cardiff last weekend served as a reminder of the quality.
“It’s been a difficult year, that is for certain,” Patchell stated. “I will not be looking back on it (last year ) a lot of times.
“It was not the disaster many outlets made it sound like, but it wasn’t the year you would like going into a World Cup.
“A couple of concussions were hard to deal with, and tearing a hamstring was not perfect. It stuttered any momentum I tried to pick up throughout this season.
“Game one that I was concussed, came back, started finding a little rhythm and obtained concussed again.
“I arrived back, then ripped my hamstring and you’re forever chasing your tail. It’s exactly what it is where we are, and we are now. Luckily, it has all worked out for the ideal.”
Patchell was still competing with Jarrod Evans for the right to rear up Dan Biggar in Japan with Gareth Anscombe ruled with a knee injury, and they had a final 40-minute audition at the Principality Stadium.
It had been Patchell who won the coaches’ vote, meaning he averted a replica of missing out, as he’d done for the 2015 World Cup if he was one of an initial recognized cut against Wales’ tournament training squad.
“He (Evans) fell me a text after the announcement, and I replied,” Patchell added. “This was very good of him.
“Of course I felt . I could totally empathise with him, having been there myself.
“It is not an easy place to be in. That’s game, someone has to miss out. I felt for all nine of the boys who got a telephone call or text.
“Jarrod and I had been clearly aware that since a 10 you must do what’s best for your team. You can only deal with what is facing you.
“I was talking to family and friends on the Friday night stating’this is it, we’ll see how it goes’.
“It’s hard, trying to be as good as you can on the day. If the cards fall the way, great. That is how it goes, When they don’t.
“The attention was as good as I might be for the group, trying to push the staff around the playground and get us into good rankings and receive our silhouette going. Fortunately, the coaches liked what they saw, I assume.”
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